Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have to beat one of the most influential figures in his football life when the Gunners face Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.

Arteta's side host PSG in the first leg tonight as the Spaniard aims to lead Arsenal to only the second Champions League final appearance in their history.

Standing in his way is a close friend who, along with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, played a major role in his compatriot's impressive transition from the pitch to the dug-out.

Luis Enrique was a senior star at Barcelona when Arteta started his playing career at the Camp Nou, a period that had a major impact on his managerial philosophy with Arsenal.

"He was extremely supportive with the young players, he was one of the main characters by far. I have really good memories of him," Arteta said.

"What I love about him is wherever he's been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place.

The pupil has already got the better of his mentor once this season, when Arsenal eased to a 2-0 win over PSG in the league phase at the Emirates in October.

But PSG have improved dramatically since then, in large part because Luis Enrique's decision to drop Ousmane Dembele against Arsenal for disciplinary reasons has inspired the France forward's superb run of form.

It was the kind of ruthless gamble that Arteta is willing to take himself. "For me he's one of the best coaches in the world and someone who helped me a huge amount. I have the utmost respect both for how he is as a person and his way of working."

The feeling is mutual, with Luis Enrique saying: "He is one of the best coaches at the moment.

"He changed Arsenal's fortunes from a somewhat winless streak to one of the best teams in the world that is competing for titles."

While Arteta and Luis Enrique are sure to share a private moment together after the tie, they will put their friendship on hold to focus on finally delivering Champions League glory to their clubs.

Arsenal have never won the tournament, losing to Barcelona in the 2006 final, while PSG have a tortured recent history, beaten by Bayern Munich in their only final in 2020.

They head into the PSG tie emboldened by their swaggering 5-1 aggregate dismissal of holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
PSG have already knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa, setting them up for a hat-trick of English scalps if they get past Arsenal.